Don't Overthink It: The Power of Simple Solutions
Description: When faced with a problem, the obvious solution may be the best one. In this article we'll explore how simple solutions can be more effective than complex ones, what Occam's Razor actually states, and why clarity is crucial factors in problem-solving.
“These rims are too hard!”
We're a national travel basketball team, warming up before an away game. But not one of us can make a shot.
This gym’s rims are extra springy, as if they've been overtightened.
Every shot, no matter how perfect the backspin, is wildly bouncing off. Nobody is getting a “shooter’s bounce.”
My father is our coach.
He's standing two paces behind the three point arc when he hears our star shooter yell, "Coach! These rims are too hard!"
Dad puts his hands out in the universal “toss me the ball” pose. John passes him the ball. Dad catches it, instantly jumps, lets it go.
*swish*
Straight through the hoop. Nothing but net.
Dad turns to us, a group of 11-year-old show-offs with jaws on the gym floor, and says:
“Then don’t hit the rim.”
Sometimes the best solution is the obvious one
A client told me they weren't booking as many discovery calls as they used to. So I asked, "Are you telling people to book discovery calls at the end of your posts?"
"No," she told me. "I've been promoting my book lately."
Another said, "No one is hiring me to speak."
I asked, "Do you have a speech with a title, subtitle, description, and learning outcomes listed on your website as a product?"
"No," he said. "It just says I'm available for speaking engagements."
On a discovery call a sales trainer told me, "I can't get more than $500 for a workshop. How are you and all these people getting $5,000 or even $15,000 for workshops?"
I asked, "What are you charging?"
He said, "$500."
I'll say it again: The best answer is usually the obvious one. Rims are too springy? Don't hit the rim.
The value of simple solutions
We are easily seduced by complex solutions. They seem smarter and more interesting.
But complex solutions can take a lot of time and resources to develop and put into action. By contrast, simple solutions can be put into practice quickly and with fewer resources, making them a more feasible option for those with limited time and budget.
You've heard of Occam's Razor, which states that the simplest explanation is often the best one.
Except, that's not really what it states. That's just the streamlined, pop culture version of it.
Occam's Razor, also known as the principle of parsimony, actually states that among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions is preferable.
Let's reexamine one of our earlier examples using Occam.
Occam's Clarity
A client was struggling to book discovery calls. The complex solution would have been to reinvent their social media strategy.
But Occam's Razor tells us to choose the hypothesis that introduces the least amount of new variables, or relies on the fewest assumptions. Reinventing their entire social media strategy introduces dozens of assumptions about what is and isn't working, following the latest trends, consumer behavior, etc.
Instead I suggested an explanation with just one assumption: you're not telling people to book discovery calls.
Clarity isn't just for external uses like speaking, sales presentations, or marketing. It's also for internal uses, like deeply understanding the problem you're dealing with.
By focusing on the wrong message, the client was missing the obvious solution of just promoting discovery calls.
When in doubt, say it out loud
To be fair, this client discovered the obvious solution to their lack of discovery calls in the same breath as they explained the problem to me.
An old principle that states, if you want to really understand a subject, teach it. Everything changes when you have to explain something to an outsider. Suddenly you discover you aren't as clear as you thought you were, when you kept those ideas in your head.
If you're struggling with a problem and feel like there's an obvious solution that you're missing, try explaining your thought process out loud to a trusted friend or colleague.
You may discover the answer as you're speaking.
Then again, you may just need someone to ask a dumb question like.
When someone told me they couldn’t get more than $500 for a workshop, I asked a dumb question: "What are you charging?"
That obvious question was designed to reveal one of two situations:
1) If you wish you could get $5000 for a workshop, and you're charging $5000 but no one is buying, then we have a problem. But knowing what the problem actually is, is going to lead us in the direction of a creative solution.
Meanwhile, 2) if you're trying to get $5000 but you're only charging $500, the answer is simple, clear, and obvious: charge more.
*An important caveat
It's worth noting that the only reason my father, our coach, was able to recognize such an obvious solution ("don't hit the rim") is because he had the experience and skills to recognize and implement it.
Coaches and consultants in the business, sales, and marketing space have a habit of underemphasizing just how important experience and skills are.
It's really hard to recognize solutions, even obvious ones, if you don't have deep experience in your given content area, or if you haven't nurtured your skills.
Never underestimate the value of spending years developing your expertise.
Here's to obvious solutions
We often overlook the obvious solution to a problem because we assume that it must be more complex or difficult than it really is.
By embracing the power of simple solutions and focusing on clarity and core messaging, we can more easily identify the best course of action and achieve our goals more efficiently.
So next time you're faced with a problem, remember: sometimes the best answer is the most straightforward one.
Don't overthink it, just aim for the center of the hoop and hit nothing but net.
